Moving the Heavens and the Earth
by spadeseer
Summary: In the paralyzed world of Triterria, the noble king was murdered by a mysterious organization. Four unlikely friends band together to escape back in time- and prevent the collapse of the planet. How a brave Charmander, cowardly Skitty, former prince and jolly Buizel, and an eloquent Grovyle brought the heavens to its knees. A PMD novelization, more in-depth than the games.
1. Prologue

"I've got them! Hurry, run! _Run!_ "

Your name is EMBER, you are a CHARMANDER, and you really wish that your scaly legs were not so short. A curse, really.

You were on your paws, running. First rule of all fugitives from "justice": you were always running. The forest was thick as you continued uphill, and the darkness that settled in uncomfortably around you didn't help. But you cast your gaze warily over your shoulder, nearly tripping on your own paws in exhaustion from sprinting for so long. A figure moves from somewhere behind you, and you throw another glance over your shoulder- only to catch piercing amber eyes staring back at you.

"Keep moving, Ember!" You hear the figure's rough, reptilian voice call out. "You need to get ahead!"

"I'm trying!" You snarl back, before the glint of gemstones catches your eye, and you turn fully as you skid to a stop. The sound of gleeful cackling echoes through your ears, followed by a loud shout, and you strain to hear it in the humid air. Then, silence. The Sableye are not here, or else they are deep in hiding. Hell, maybe they'd been stopped up by your companions. Arceus knows how you got out of that particular scrape.

"We're not out of the woods yet." You mutter. "Michael?"

You haphazardly gaze from the Grovyle slowing to a stop to the trees, the colorless black of them sending shivers up your spine as they always had. The world's paralysis was all you've ever known, and all that you wished to come to an end. Your glance swings from the Grovyle to the undergrowth, and you stare at it for several moments, panting.

"Where is the prince? Did they catch him?" You bark, clenching your claws.

"The prince?" The Grovyle asks, and you see his jaw drop. "Nary a glance I had before we began to run. We must wait for him."

"We don't have time for any of your knightly duties, Michael!" You snap. "Believe me, I hate breaking your romantic tension, but we have to keep moving. He'll catch up with us eventually. Where's Celebi?"

"She's-" the Grovyle tensed, his words breaking off as a shuffle in the bushes was heard from behind him. The bipedal lizard jolted, pivoting on his claws as he turned, and another Pokémon tumbled from the undergrowth.

The smaller figure gave a groan in complaint as he pushed out of the undergrowth, another Pokémon at his side. You looked up, only to see a pair of- thankfully- brown, curious eyes staring back at you. The figure was very orange, very bright against the darkness, and very, very familiar.

"Jacob," you breathed, and the Buizel grinned at you as you went on, "and Celebi. Hey, what happened back there?"

"Oh, the usual! A couple of Sableye, but nothing that Celebi and I could not handle!" The Buizel looked very scruffy and confidant, as if he had just not encountered several attempts in a row on his own life. "I don't think they're following us now, but we need to keep moving."

"Oh, Michael!" the floating, childlike Pokémon cried. "And Ember, too! Thank goodness you're safe!"

"None of us are safe yet," you remark, with a short shrug, "but thanks to Jacob and you, Celebi, at least we were able to scout ahead a bit."

"Well?" Jacob asked, and you saw Michael, the Grovyle, nod his head slowly.

"Nothing except for the Passage of Time, your Majesty," he murmured, "I was quick to scale the area beforehand with the help of the ever-competent Ember."

"Thanks for the praise," you say, sarcastically, "but now is really not the time to be handing single heapings of love and care. We know where the time gears are, then, and how to get back. This is the last stretch. Celebi?"

The floating, smiling bipedal nodded with a short bob of her head. You'd always thought of her as appearing to be a grass doll of sorts, and the abilities she possessed concerning the very fabric of time itself were always flabbergasting to you. She spoke quickly, her voice light and playful like her personality.

"The time gears, which control the flow of time in every region, you know, are not in our possession, as they broke when the planet fell into ruin! But we know where they are in the past, thanks to your abilities and the prince's knowledge, and we are currently on our way to stop the world's paralysis in the past!" She chirps. "Anything else I missed?"

"Our personal lives, I guess?" Jacob said, and you felt a short twinge of guilt. Your parents had left when you were only in an egg, you never knew them. But upon escape from his palace, Jacob's father, the king, was killed. He had no siblings, and grew up alone with only you and Michael for company. Michael was a knight, Jacob's personal knight, who had nearly killed you in suspicion when you first met. However, Jacob was quick to catch on to your lack of aggression, and a friendship was born. Even as children, you were tightly knit.

After the burning of the castle and the fair king's murder in what seemed like weeks before, the three of you had fled with major injuries. Collapsing in a nearby forest, you hadn't expected to meet Celebi. But she was handy with healing, and it was there that you learned of her plan to launch the world back into orbit. The question was, how? The fall of the castle and tyranny reining from a different ruler had been heavy on you all, even not knowing the group causing it had been a little sham. But Celebi was quick to relay her plan: find out where the time gears used to be, and head back to the past to stop the destruction of Temporal Tower, where an old Pokémon called Dialga was said to reside.

Your ability to see events in the past or future involving the manipulation of time was certainly the biggest factor in bringing you this far, and you weren't going to give up now.

"I don't think that stubborn Raichu will catch us back here," you say, slowly, "but the Passage of Time is just up ahead, and it's time to walk."

Jacob nodded, and Michael warily glanced around as you continued to move over the blackened grass.

"We could intercept them, possibly, and head back to take them down once and for all," Michael suggested, as you traversed the ground at the head of the group, "the passage to the past would be much easier that way."

"Fat lot of good that'll do us if we're dead," you say, almost sourly, but fix your tone, "no, we can't go back. We have to move forward. Celebi, how much farther?"

"Not much," the Timekeeper said, "just a couple of moments?"

"Hard to keep track of time when the planet's paralyzed, don't you think?"

"I never thought of it that way," Celebi mumbled, "but time has to be measured ourselves now. By my calculations, you see, I've put together that it's been three weeks since we first set out- five if you count your healing time."

Absentmindedly, one of your paws moves to your face to touch an idle scar along your eye. She was right about that. Celebi was always rather brainy, and her quick and eager talk was something to take the mind off of the miserableness of the situation. You look back, over the hill, at lights flickering off in the distance. Though it was hardly time to feel miserable, you shook your head. Justice. Retribution. You'd kill the lot of them for doing this to the world.

"Cripes," Jacob whispers, roughly, "I think I see the Passage up ahead."

"We need to hurry, your Majesty." Michael says, and you see Jacob throw him an irritated look. "They'll be after us any minute now."

"Would you cease your dumb mannerisms and quit calling me that-" Jacob begins, but you hear his voice cut off as you raised a paw, and frowned.

"You hear that?"

A soft cackle in the distance reinforced your words.

"Yes! Footsteps, and fast!" Celebi exclaimed. "Hurry, now! There is little time to talk!"

"Keep moving!"

Your footsteps were quick, but you quickly turned at the summit of the hill towards the sounds in the distance. The break into a clearing wouldn't help to cover you. Jacob, who had been running at your side, stopped sharply to shout a question. Practically in your ears, you think bitterly.

"You're staying?"

"Only for a moment," you rasped, "I'm gonna slow them down. Keep going, there's little ground to cover now."

Jacob presumably nodded, before you heard the patter of footsteps behind you. That indicated that they had kept moving. Good. You glanced down at the forest below, a grin picking at your expression. The sound had grown louder until it broke into shadowy figures moving quick up the hill, and that's when you unhinged your jaw to release a short burst of flame. It streamed down the hill in a torrent, and you only stayed a minute to watch.

The Sableye gave up shrieks as the blinding light pierced their retinas, and it was well-known that they were not used to such a light. You managed a forced smirk, praising yourself for the knowledge.

The bright flare color was quick to swallow the dead grass, and block your pursuers from view. With a short pant of relief, you turn tail again to catch up to the others. They stood at the very edge of the summit, under a sturdy cliff. Celebi was tinkering with a strange artifact that formed a natural oval jutting up from the ground. Whatever it was, it appeared ancient, and you were certainly not going to ask any questions concerning it.

Michael sifts through a Treasure Bag hooked around his neck with a worried expression, but Jacob sits up immediately when he sees you. "Well?"

"I coughed up a blaze or two, maybe it'll slow 'em down a bit," you say, "they should know not to play with fire."

"Good!" Celebi chimes, from her post at fixing the Passage. "That should keep them for a bit, a Charmander's flames are very hot, you know-"

"I've experienced it like, a ton of times," you say, "and I can say firsthandedly that this is pretty hot."

Michael finishes his sifting, and glances up. "Are we ready to go?"

"Yes," Celebi murmurs, and her hands spread out as she begins to give off a soft pinkish glow, "just give me a few more moments.."

But there's little time. A short, sturdy Raichu flings itself from the undergrowth, fur stained black with burns. His snarl on the unusually skinny face he bore was one that made you shiver even now. A few remaining Sableye pushed out from the flames, looking startled and distant. You sharply look to Jacob and Michael, who pushes you both back with a snarl. "Go! I'll hold them off!"

You can't protest with that, and you grab Jacob's paw to haul him beside you as you both make for the now-glowing passage.

"Quickly, inside!"

"But Michael!" Jacob protests, and you shake your head as you push him towards it.

"No time! He'll be alright, I know he will!"

Jacob takes a last, long look over his shoulder before he steps into the rippling blue portal with a faint cry. He disappears instantly, and you can't help but notice Michael step back to parry a blow with his leaf-blades before he whirled around sharply to follow you and Jacob through, the Raichu sharply on his tail.

The last thing you see is a jolt of darkness eating away at your vision, and what felt like your body. You could hear them, Jacob and Michael, even through the distortion.

"H-hold on!"

"I can't! Something hit me.. I c-can't move!"

"Just a little longer, we're almost there!"

"And-!"

Jacob's piercing scream echoed through your ears, and you shut your eyes tightly as you allowed the blackness of the portal to wash over your vision.

.

an: this chapter may be a little confusing. however, i pondered over other options for the characters, how to introduce them in a manner that was more towards their characters. i decided to stay true to the cryptic author of the tale, ember the charmander, who will be narrating in this person for most of the story. i'll admit, it's a strange perspective, but i love it all the same.

you may be asking yourself many questions. a prince? why is there a king in a paralyzed world? why is the main character already a pokémon? should they not be human? i decided to expand on the idea of a region only inhabited by pokemon, which was largely influenced by a work known as "The Glaceon and the Shadow", a work on this site that i highly recommend reading! it is truly a work of art, though not mine. the only thing in this story that will reference that particular story is ember's quote, "Fat lot of good that'll do us if we're dead," which was spoken by Larissa the Quilava, if i'm not mistaken? you'll have to trust me, dear readers, on what is to come next. i shall be updating sporadically today and tomorrow, as i had originally typed the story up to the point where the characters.. well, i'll let you figure that out. for now, sleep well, and may the fire burn brightly for you always.


	2. Chapter 1

The first thing you notice, is that it is incredibly dark. There's the sound of waves, you think, but despite straining your ears, you cannot hear it.

The second thought that comes to you is that you may have been rendered unconscious. Your arms and legs are useless, mind sluggish and eyes tired. Everything is pained, and you cannot feel a single thing. The only thing alight in your mind is the engulfing darkness, and nothing beyond it.

Then, you hear a voice.

.." Hello! And welcome to the past, the world of Pokémon! I know, you've already come from such a place. But, hey, always time for new experiences! You got good and knocked out. How about we check your aura, shall we?"

It doesn't look like you have a choice. Your lips part for you to answer, but you soon realize that you can't quite say anything. There's a low laugh from the voice, eerie enough for a shiver to crawl through your skin. Swallowing thickly, you force yourself to nod. It's impossible to see anything, no matter how hard you strain. The voice continues.

"Silly me! You cannot speak. I can understand you well enough, either way! There's no need for you to speak! You haven't forgotten me yet, have you? I suppose you.. did. You wouldn't remember me anyway. You aren't the same as the old Ember was. Now he.. he was truly a hero! But.. I can see you well enough to know who you really are."

Remember? Remember who? Your mind's gears seem to be dusted and rusty, you cannot muster a single thought that would be of use. Honestly, you'd be more useful fully unconscious. But aren't you supposed to be.. dreaming? And who was this voice, exactly? Did you know them? How did they see you in this thick, inky darkness?

"You were my partner, of course. But it's okay! I'll help you out well. Just close your eyes, and I'll tell your about your aura."

Aura? What's. Ah. An aura. The voice is gentle with you, and obviously male. Who could it be, you ponder. But it didn't matter. You closed your eyes, and suddenly, you feel it.

It's the feeling of a cold bucket of icy water dropped down upon you, a glacial trickle through your body that left you breathless and gasping. The voice was a warm reminder around you, and you felt something gentle touch your shoulder.

"It's alright.. shh." The sound quiets you, so softly and with fondness in his voice. "Your aura is clear now. A brilliant, sky blue."

Amazing, you think sarcastically, that's exactly what I wanted to know in this position. Tied down, maybe, unable to move, and you've managed to become the world's greatest matchmaker. So, when am I gonna marry this sky? After a second of bitter thought, there's a snorting laughter.

"Hey, Ember, calm down." Ember? Was that your name? "It's not like I'm gonna hurt you, jeez. Anyway, I've decided what you are! And you shouldn't be surprised."

"You're so brave!" He begins in awe, and you're puzzled by the affection in his voice, "and you never back down from anything. You're so gutsy and brash, in a way that others aren't!"

"You have the potential to be a great person!" He sighs, "and you were always the last one still standing."

"You have such a strong sense of justice, and you can't turn a blind eye to anyone in trouble. But sometimes you take this sense of personal justice too pushily, so don't be too hard on yourself, Ember!"

And then you feel a fire through you, literally, and you cry out as every bone in your body feels like it's stretching and breaking. Every muscle being torn, and rebuilt. You jerk, probably on the floor, with little whimpers and cries that sound awkward, as if they didn't belong to you. The pain is like a liquid, flowing smoothly from one part of your body so quickly as if it were a drop on oil. The voice sounds concerned now, and you feel something petting you softly. "You're entirely blue. Shhh, Ember, I won't be by your side any more, but I'll be with you in spirit. Remember me, my friend. My exploration partner."

And you think you can almost remember his name, but there's a blinding flash of light.

[ - ]

Picture it, then. Sunset, over the highest cliffs along the rocky edges of Treasure Town. The Guild, settling among one of the highest cliffs, rests peacefully. The only sound is the occasional call of a Swellow in the distance, and fire crackling on pedestals beside the entrance. Colorful totems and flowers decorate the entrance, along with the ominous grate guarding the guild's entrance protectively.

All was quiet, calm, except for a couple of footsteps. Anxious ones, pacing along only pawsteps from the grate. There was soft breathing, and muttered curses.

"Hmmm.." the small, pink, catlike Pokemon breathes, before continuing her nervous pacing. She stops, looking up at the gate, before sighing and shaking her head. The Skitty looks up with a hardened resolve, her voice strong.

"No. I refuse to be paralyzed by this any longer!" She affirms, putting a paw down in protest. "T-today, I am going to be brave. I can do this!"

The Skitty steps up to the grate, taking a deep breath before shutting her eyes tightly. A loud cry sounded from below, startling and scaring her from the grate. She stumbled back, rolling backwards onto the path with an "oof!"

"Pokemon detected! Pokemon detected!"

"Whose footprint? Whose footprint?"

"Gah!" the Pokemon cries, before skittering back a few more feet as the unfamiliar voices sounded from below. She then swallowed, sighed, and took something from a small satchel around her neck.

"N-no.. I can't do it." She mumbled numbly, placing a small rock on the ground in front of her. It was strange, almost like a fragment of something else. There was an eerie inscription across the top surface, which was entirely flat. The bottom was rocky and unusual, as if it had been forcefully pulled from a stone marker of sorts. "I thought that holding onto my p-personal treasure would inspire me.. but no.."

"I'm a coward." She spits, closing her eyes tightly as she took the stone, shoving it back into the satchel. The Skitty turned, trudging down the path and steps.

She nearly tripped over her own paws several times before the dirt path turned to smooth, whitish yellow sand underneath her paws, and she gasped as the view came into sight. "Wow.."

The water from the sea extended far into the horizon, and it was impossible to see anything beyond it. A beautiful sight, the pink and orange streaks of the dying sun striking a magnificent glare over the blue surface, and casting a glow against bubbles that began to float past. Every night, she knew, the Krabby came out at sundown to blow bubbles over the water's edge. When the weather was good, it was a beautiful sight to behold. Sitting for a moment in the soft sand, she was able to appreciate it. "All those bubbles," she whispered, kneading her paws in the grains, "reflecting the setting sun off of the waves.. it's always so wonderful.. I guess I sound a little stupid muttering to myself like this, even though it's true."

After a moment, despite the sun not having set just yet, she blinked. There was a lump of red in the corner of her vision, and natural curiosity caused her to turn her head. It appeared to be a great big blob of a reddish orange, and she cautiously moved towards it. Blinking, the Skitty called out. "Hey, hello? Oh, Arceus, someone's collapsed on the sand!"

She scrambles towards the unmoving Pokemon, and inspects them closely for a moment. A funny dragonlike Pokemon she'd never seen before, but it had no wings! It sure didn't look like it was a dragon. Eyes closed, they seemed hurt, and unconscious. Nervously, she gently shook them with her paws. "Hey.. hey, wake up! What happened, are you okay?

[ - ]

You blink your eyes open slowly. What was that? You didn't hear it clearly. Good God, are you tired. Couldn't you just sleep a little longer? This was bothersome, having to wake up this early. What time was it?

When you first move, you feel a sluggish pain in your muscles that stupidly reminds you that you haven't moved in a while. At least, that's what it seems like. You wouldn't know. The last thing you heard was that voice, and you couldn't worry about that voice when you were about to finally wake up.

The world is foggy, and your limbs are groggy (haha, that rhymes) from sleep. You wearily blink the bleariness from your eyes until the view clears up a bit, and only then do you see a face in front of you, nose barely touching your own. Giving a shocked gasp, you nearly smack them in the face as you scramble to your feet.

"Whoa! Easy, tiger!" The Skitty has a high-pitched voice, and you snort. What's with this kid and cats? She looked like a goddamn cat, for crying out loud. "You're awake! Thank goodness.."

It takes more time than you thought it would for you to form words, and even then they are not entirely coherent, your voice is rougher and more reptilian than you remember. Or.. you're not entirely sure. You find, miserably, that you can't remember anything at all. "Where am.. I?"

The Skitty seems overjoyed that you've at least woken up, and you find it annoying how she rambles on for what seems like ages. "You wouldn't move at all, I was really scared for you!" She babbles, as you dust the sand from your hands. The catlike Pokemon seemed excited, and so bubbly that you weren't sure whether to smile and laugh along or be entirely annoyed. She jumps a little at your expression, face falling for only a moment before she continues. "You were unconscious! Do you have any idea how you ended up here?"

The thought strikes you as odd. How DID you end up here? What had happened? It seemed like a daydream, the encounter with the mysterious voice. Honestly, if she hadn't told you, you would have considered the thought of you becoming unconscious in the first place to be stupid. The Skitty looks a little put off at your thoughtfulness, and she rolls her head in fond exasperation.

"Anyway, I'm Lilly!" she chirps, and god damn, does she ever tire out? Either way, at least you've learned of SOMEONE new in this strange place. "I'm really happy to meet you... uh. Who are you, exactly? I've never seen you around before!"

You sit your ass down and blink. "I'm from the future," you say, almost cockily, with a smirk. "I'm not sure where I came from, though, kitty cat. You'd have to take that up with my manager."

"What?" Lilly looks shocked, with a puzzled expression, and you blink. "From the future? But you look like a totally normal Charmander to me!"

You look around, curiously, as if she were talking to someone else. Yet, the beach is still quiet but for the two of you, and the gentle slosh of the waves. The frothing squishing of the Krabbys' bubbles is also audible, but hardly. You're too focused on yourself. Casting your gaze down, you lift your.. paws. Red paws with fingers like claws, and scaly yet smooth skin. Looking behind you, you can make out a fiery tail tip, and there's a harsh yelp that escapes you before you can do anything about it. "Ohhhh, God! It's true, I'm alive! But.. nothing's changed! Still a Charmander.. How in Giratina's name does this even happen?" you ramble, your hands flying to your head to hold yourself gently. Panicking, you look up at Lilly.

"You're.. kind of odd.." She mumbles, almost uncertainly, her smile gone. But she doesn't move, and that's enough to reassure you. "Are you pulling some kind of trick on me?"

"Unfortunately," you sigh, "no."

"So you're telling the truth?" Lilly meows, almost challengingly. You roll your eyes, and she snorts with laughter before continuing her interrogation. "All right then, Scale-toes! How about a name?"

"A name?" You ask, stupidly. The question is strange. What is your name? You recall the voice calling you Dear. Was that your name? No, that was an affectionate colloquialism. What else did the voice call you? "Ember?"

"Oh! So you're named Ember," she mews, looking relieved as a large, toothy grin split her face. "Well, you don't seem to be a bad Pokemon, at least! I'm sorry for doubting you. Lots of bad Pokemon have been cropping up lately, and it's just not safe anymore.."

"I get it-" You begin, but there's something you can see just over her head. Are those other Pokemon? What are they doing here?

Before you can question her on the newer acquaintances, a funny-looking bat pokemon tackles her headfirst, butting her forward. Lilly gasps, and awkwardly knocks into you. Steadying the two of you, your arms move to catch her. She quickly regains balance, however, and almost smacks you with her tail as she turns. "Hey! What's the big idea?"

"Oh, well.. I beg your pardon." One of them speaks, and by God's name you have never seen anything so strange in your life. It's like a floating fucking bubble of gas, purple with a strange symbol printed across it's chest. Male, you think, but the Koffing laughs. And the bat-like Pokemon (Zubat? You aren't too sure) with him joins in the collective giggle.

You note Lilly's hackles rising, and you scramble forward to stand beside her. "Lilly? Who are these dudes?"

"Can't figure it out?" Zubat sneers, sticking his tongue out at the both of you as he furiously flapped his wings to stay afloat, "we wanted to mess with you! Can't stand up to us, can ya?"

Lilly suddenly looks startled, different from the whim of anger she'd possessed beforehand. Shrinking away slightly, her paws quiver. "Wh-what?"

It seems that they'd knocked something from her with their initial tackle, and it lay in the sand, untouched. Lilly's jaw dropped slightly, and Zubat moved towards it a little. "That yours, huh?"

"Oh, that's..!"

"I'll be taking it, thanks," Zubat cut in smoothly, his voice turning to a shrieking giggle along with Koffing's. It made your own hackles rise, the way they treat her so stupidly, despite you having known her for less than five minutes. Zubat swooped to collect his prize.

"No, wait!" Lilly whimpered, and Koffing moved closer to snarl in her face.

"Whoa-ho-ho! Gonna make a move to get it back? What's the matter? You scared, kiddo? I didn't expect you to be such a coward." He taunted, and Lilly winced beside you. "Come on, Zubat, let's get out of here."

The poison-gas Pokemon cuts to the side, floating away as Zubat scrambled after him. "See you around, Chicken!" He spat, as they both floated away to your right and behind you. You want to turn to see where they've gone, but Lilly crumpling to the ground is enough to make you pause.

"Ohhhhh.." she breathes, shakily, and you can hear the strain of her voice. She looks up at you. It's so slight, the way her chin tilts up towards you. "Wh-what should I do? That's my personal treasure.. it means everything to me. If I lose it.." her voice breaks and she chokes on the words for a moment. But then, that sudden bravery shines through again, and she hauls herself to her feet.

"No!" Lilly meows, voice full of determination. "There's no time to waste.." she looks to you, face pleading. "Ember? Will you help me?"

This is a life or death decision now, that's clear to you. But you can't help your own stupidity, the fact that you'd probably trip on your own paws if it weren't for the ground being flat. "Wh-what do I do?"

"AAAAAAGH, Ember!" Lilly groans in exasperation, before taking one of your paws in her own. "Come on, there's no time to waste!"

"But you can't just.." Your voice trails off, and she purses her lips tightly.

"That's my personal treasure, Ember. If that disappeared, then I'd.." She shakes her head again, looking resolved to not dissolve into pity-town. "Please help, Ember!"

"Kitty cat," you say, voice stern. "I don't know who I am, I hardly know who you are, and I can't remember anything that's happened to me before this! Let me just get one sentence out, all right?"

"I know, it must be really difficult for you," she mews, her voice countering yours with hardness, "but I'll help you out if you help me. Deal?"

"Got it." You respond, and she shakes your paw, as if it were a real-life gamble with your lives on the line. She looks so serious, it almost makes you want to laugh. But then she's rushing behind you, into a dark cavern, and you sigh. "Hurry up, Ember, let's go right away!"

[ - ]

"We've been walking in circles." You insist, looking up at the stalactites lining the tops of the damp, dark cave. Your tail fire and the luminous glow from the crystals lining the cave walls lit the path, and there was an underground river that marked the trail. Pokemon were abundant here, but Lilly explained patiently to you that not all Pokemon in this world were friendly, and in dungeons they mostly proved to be hostile. You sighed, pressing your claws to your temples.

"Nonsense! I know exactly where we're going. Keep your eyes on the prize, dragon breath!" Lilly meowed excitedly, bouncing on her toes as you both walked. God damn. How is she so ready for adventure? She seemed excited at every crevice of the cavern, and it was if the adventure called her name. You rolled your eyes. "I can hear their voices up ahead."

"Alright. Whatever you say, Catnip." Grumbling, you turned away. You have to stop almost-smiling at this kid's rocky sense of humor. Dragon breath? You looked like a giant red gecko, honestly. It's still hard for you to believe that you're a Pokemon, much less following after this kid like a lost Growlithe.

While you reminisce your decisions to even come in here, you hear a "Haaah!" and a "Take THAT! Haha!" behind you that causes you to lazily turn. It's Lilly, panting, and a funny looking Pokemon you'd never seem before stood a couple feet away. Lilly sticks her tongue out, and you snarl as you readied yourself. "The fuck is that?"

"A Kabuto!" She growls, and pounces. Sure enough, the shell-like Pokemon moved upwards to meet her, and as she smacked her paws into each side of it's head in a Fake Out, you note that it somehow, mysteriously, vanishes. You gasp.

"What in the name of the Distortion World? What happened?"

"It got repelled back to where it came from, I guess," she responds, as she lands and moves to your side. "What do you have there?"

"It must have dropped these," you respond, and twist slightly to illuminate the area in front of you with your fire-tipped tail. "It looks like a pair of sunglasses. What are they?"

They were indeed sunglasses, dark and rounded, and Lilly brightens immediately upon noticing them. "Oh! Scope lenses." She says, matter-of-factly, and you put them on. There's a sharp feeling that cuts through you the moment you place them on your nose, and it leaves you full of anticipation. Lilly snorts and laughs at your jumpiness. "They increase your critical-hit ratio. Aren't they great? I've never seen them all that often before, you were lucky to find them here!"

"I love them," you drawl, before pushing them farther up your snout. Weirdly, you could still see the cave as clearly as if you'd never put them on. But everything was sharper, as if you could suddenly detect every corner of the stalagmites hanging far above. Lilly's already moving before you can recover, and you stumble over the uneven ground of the cavern after her.

You both seem to be ascending, the ground grows rougher and more slanted, as you both move from floor to floor. The light from your tail fire illuminating the wall crystals is ever so strong, as is Lilly's resolve. The Skitty looks as fired-up as ever, despite you being the fire type. "Hasty, aren't we?"

"I'm just ready to.. oh."

You both enter the final cavern, and it's much brighter in here. The fading sunlight shines through the roof enough for you to see, and the beams cast themselves upon two familiar figures craning over a small object in the center of the cave.

Koffing and Zubat, you guess, becoming irritated.

Moving to Lilly's side, you can hear her uneven, nervous breaths as she swallows thickly once more. She was strange, in the sense that she seemed to be startled when facing them herself. The odd, spontaneous busts of bravery seemed to come from times in which someone prompted before she could. "H-hey!"

The figures turn, and you called it. Koffing and Zubat, looking to be in a jubilee of their own victory. "Well, well, well." Koffing gloats, and Zubat chitters a taunting laugh. "Ain't it our old friend, the big fat chicken!"

Lilly steps back a bit, and you part your lips in a snarl. "..G-give me back what you stole from me!" she snarls, her voice growing more steady with every word. "That's my treasure, and I've come back for it!"

"Oh, treasure, you say?" Zubat mocks, moving from side to side in the air. His wings gave off a soft hum as they ferociously flapped, and it added to the eerie tension of the cavern. "So that rock really is valuable, you say?"

"It could be worth more than we hoped," Koffing agrees, turning to his companion, "We oughta try selling it. Who knows? It could fetch a fair price. All the more reason not to give it back."

"You c-can't!" Lilly's voice is quivering again, and you take a step forward with a reptile-ish hiss. She sounds as if on the brink of tears, and Zubat moved closer in a threatening manner.

"If you want it back that badly," he whispers, and suddenly raises his voice to a piercing shout, "come and GET IT!"

You're the first to move, with a battle yowl as Zubat lunges at Lilly. Knocking him from the air, your claws glow and extend to allow you to Scratch him furiously. The batlike Pokemon rolls with the impact, jerking away from you with a heavy cry. It's enough to make you flinch, and you can hear Lilly exclaim somewhere behind you as Koffing presumably makes his move. Zubat flies towards you once more, sinking his foaming venom teeth into your shoulder in a Poison Fang. You turn sharply, and you are surprised when a small burst of flame erupts from your maul. It's a move, Ember, you guess wildly as Zubat cowers from the impact.

"Zen headbutt that kiddo! Yeah!" Lilly shouts from behind you, and is she calling out her moves as she delivers them? You almost shake your head fondly before diving at Zubat, parting your jaws again to deliver a crushing torrent of fire. He gives a sharp hiss beneath you, before feebly groaning.

Rubbing at your throbbing shoulder, you turn. Lilly easily outspeeds Koffing, weaving in and out to the sides in front of him before he can blink. She strikes fast, and while not too forceful with her attacks, they come quickly and smoothly, A natural fighter, you can see that in the fluidity of her movement. While you were a fan of brute force, as was evident with your fight against Zubat, she was able to outmaneuver the enemy before they could move.

Lilly backs up against the wall as Koffing moves forward, and then jumps back onto it. It's surprising, she sustains herself on the vertical wall for a second or so before hurling herself at him. She glows brightly, and tackles him headfirst before landing smoothly on the rocky terrain. The force of the blow launches Koffing away, before he gives an "Oof!" and smashes into Zubat on the ground.

"Aaaauuugh," he breathes, and Zubat quickly agrees with a "Baaaaauurrrghh.." of his own. Lilly smiles at you warmly, and you smirk back as she prods you in the side. Oh, right, you're still injured. You'd be okay.

"Hey, what's that?" She asks, curiously, pointing to your shoulder. It's looking mighty awful, and throbs every couple of seconds.

"I'm poisoned, probably," you respond, and she looks shocked. Zubat did use Poison Fang, you aren't all that surprised that you were poisoned.

"Oh, Jirachi's gallbladder, no!" Lilly growls stubbornly, before removing her satchel to dig around inside. "You can't just blow off every wound like that, Ember, we're going to encounter more stuff like this in the future!"

"We?" you tease, but she's pushing a pinkish berry at you. Wincing, you give it a hard look. "The heck is this?"

"Eat it, you dumb idiot," she growls at you, and you can't protest with that. You give it a cautious bite, before tearing into it hungrily. It comes to mind that you haven't had a good meal in a while. Lilly watches you with sharp eyes as you swallow it down, and then nods her approval. The pain from the bite is entirely gone, as if the berry had lifted it. Pecha, probably.

Pushing the Scope Lens up on your snout, you almost forget about the stupid pair of crooks on the ground in front of you both. They seemed to have gathered themselves, both floating upright despite their terrible injuries. Zubat all but flung the fragment at you, and you fumbled with it as you caught it.

"Here! Take it, it's probably worth nothing anyway," he snarls, and Koffing narrows his bulging eyes.

"Beaten by a couple o' wimps, I can't believe it. If the boss were with us, you wouldn't have won. Let's scram, dude!"

Before you can protest, they've already fled, exiting the cave behind you both. Lilly turns to you, and you give her the fragment. She gazes at it in awe, then looks at you as she quickly tucks it away. "Oh.. Ember. Thank you so, so much! I couldn't have beaten them without you."

You smile.

[ - ]

Lilly is still showing her endless gratitude as you both returned to the beach, and it starts to make you doubt your own decisions. She babbles on and on about how happy she is to get it back as you both sat in the sand. The sunlight was still bright, despite the sun beginning to set. Time was strange here, you notice. It's almost as if you never left. Was it the dungeon you'd entered?

You really only helped Lilly because it was convenient for you, and because you were available to. Should you have done it.. was it really the right thing to do? How would you know that Lilly never stole her funny looking rock? But.. you suppose so. This Pokemon is clearly grateful, and it's nice to be appreciated. You muse over her happiness for a moment longer, before she snaps you out of your thoughts like a sucker punch.

"Look, here's what they stole. Isn't it great? I call it my Relic Fragment. You've never seen a pattern like it before, have you?" She says, laying the stone in front of you. Craning your neck, you get a good look. It's a strange pattern indeed, almost foreboding in the sense that it sends shivers up your spine like the Voice did.

"It's my precious treasure. Doesn't it remind you of faraway lands, precious abysses just waiting for someone to find them after decades of waiting? I've always been into legends and lore, and this Relic Fragment is everything to me! I can't quite remember where I got it, but it reminds me of uncharted territories veiled in darkness, and new lands just _waiting_ to be discovered!" She sighs, almost dreamily, and her expression is of an innocent child trying ice cream for the first time. "Ohhh, and history! Wouldn't it be so dramatic to make a historic discovery like this? There's gotta be a meaning to this pattern, I just know it."

"It is certainly a weird-lookin' thing." You hesitantly agree, and Lilly rolls her eyes.

"At least, that's the feeling I get." She meows, and jumps with newfound excitement. "That's why I want to join an exploration team! I want to solve the mystery of my Relic Fragment. So earlier I tried heading down to Wigglytuff's Guild to sign up as an apprentice.." she pauses, and her expression falls. "But I chickened out."

Then she swallows, and looks back up at you, almost hopefully. "So what are you going to do now, Ember? What about you? You've somehow come to the.. past, or so you say, and you've lost your memory.. is there anyplace you can stay?"

Your silence speaks sentences for you, and Lilly blinks. A tiny, hopeful smiles plays at the edge of her lips, and you almost smile yourself. "Yeah, I've got no idea what I can do. I'm still not too sure this ain't a dream, y'know."

"Oh, shut up," she fusses, and you roll your eyes behind the thick lenses, "you should join an exploration team with me, Ember! That's my.. I hope you can. We make a good team, I think. Would you, please?"

The question catches you by surprise, and you blink. What do you do? Shoot. Augh! You're getting recruited for a team out of the blue! What would Ben Stiller do? Adam Sandler? But do they even exist here? Swallowing thickly, you stare her down. "What's an exploration team. Are.. are you..?"

She stares you down, equally stubborn, before blinking in confusion. "Am I? What do you mean?"

"Are you trying to talk me into it?"

"H-heck no!" She responds, looking shocked as she tucks her fragment away. "T-talk you into it? The thought never even crossed my mind! Listen, Ember.. I know that I really am a coward. I mean.." she deflects her gaze to her paws, and you feel a churn in your stomach. "I thought I could depend on you, I admit it.. but during that fight with Koffing and Zubat earlier, having you with me..

I felt really brave.

I think I could do anything with you with me, Ember. So come on, I'm begging you. Form an exploration team with me! Just you and me. I really am braver with you, Ember, and you're amazing at fighting. You were fantastic. And when I saw that, I knew that.. you're no ordinary Pokemon! You could be a first-class explorer, Ember. So.. please?"

It was true. You had nowhere to go. There was no clue of what to do next. And maybe hanging around Lilly could help you gather your bearings, because the Voice told you that you had a big destiny ahead of you. So maybe being with Lilly could help you piece together.. well, whatever this is. But you wouldn't be able to back out later. Surely she'd be willing to help you no matter what, right?

"Alright, it's settled. Even through your praise and flattery, I can tell you truly appreciate me as a leader." You say, with a grin. "And I'm in."

"Oh, really?" Lilly gasps, and the biggest smile yet nearly breaks her face. The urge to embrace the smaller Pokemon is nearly overwhelming, holy fuck. She's thrilled. "Oh my God, thank you, Ember! We're a great combination, so let's make this work!"

[ - ]

Would you like to save your adventure?

[yes]

no

Saving.. please don't turn off the power or touch the Game Card..

Save completed!

[ - ]

an: and that's that! the first bit lined up. i'll admit, i intended for the story to take a different path when i first wrote it. i wanted ember to be a human from the future, but i felt they wouldn't have so much development if they couldn't talk to Pokémon to begin with. his attitude is arrogant, cocky, and that paired with lilly's adamance along with her brightness and light attitude is sure for a good story arc.

as for the other characters, they will not make an appearance just yet. please leave a review with your opinions, and possible theories, maybe? constructive criticism is most certainly welcome. stay tuned, dear readers, and may the fire burn brightly to light the dusty path- no matter where you intend to traverse.


	3. Chapter 2

an: i don't know if you've noticed, but ember may drop a bit of language here and there. though he's usually got a rough sense of humor, you've been thoroughly warned.

NOTICE: yes! most of the dialogue is exactly as it is, stripped right from the game! when i first wrote this, i played the game as i went along, taking moments between to type out dialogue. as a result, i have many play hours on it. whew. glad that's over with.

[ - ]

Wigglytuff's Guild stood tall and intimidating in the fading sunlight, and Lilly had brought you back here to join the guild with her. Standing in the same spot she'd chickened out of seemed to make her more nervous, and she swallowed thickly. "This is Wigglytuff's Guild," she meowed, then looked at you. "To form an exploration team, you gotta register the team here. Then you gotta train until you're ready to graduate and become a real first-rate team."

"This.. place?"

She turned back to the grate, and shivered. "Y-y-yikes," she mumbled. "Isn't this place just a little bit odd? It really just is!"

You frown. "Even the building looks ridiculous. But hey, kitty, I'm here. No need to be scared, right?"

She turns, and that familiar speck of bravery you've learned of expands until her jaw is set. "Right! I've got you with me this time. I have to be brave."

Lilly jumps forward to step on the grate, almost tripping. Then, she nearly reels back in shock as a voice seemed to shout up from below. Even you winced slightly, not expecting the unfamiliar voice to cut through the tension. "Pokemon detected!" the voice begins, in a shrill manner. It sounded like a little boy, honestly. "Pokemon detected!"

"Whose footprint? Whose footprint?" Another voice, this one deep and hollow, thick with volume. It was louder than the other, and you vaguely hope that they never yell. They sounded much older, however.

"The footprint is Skitty's! The footprint is Skitty's!" The first voice continues, and Lilly jumps again with a startled yowl. She shivers, before appearing to endure herself. The Skitty trembles in place, and you think she's about to move again when the second voice interrupts.

"..You may ENTER!" it booms, and you flinch. That was loud, so loud that it scares Lilly right off of the grate. She tumbles back. There's a moment of silence. "Someone's with you! So get that stranger to STAND up THERE!"

Lilly looks at you nervously as she scrambles to her feet. You purse your lips. "I think they mean you, Ember. They said to stand up there."

She motions to the grate.

It was covering the hole, but it made you feel somewhat uneasy and odd, as she had mentioned before. It's made so that no one can fall through, but still. It was really strange. It looked like it would tickle your feet, or-

"Hey, you! STRANGER!" The second voice howls, and you flinch. "Get on the GRATE!"

You move to the grate. "Good Mesprit, okay. I'm on the stupid grate."

"Pokemon detected! Pokemon detected!"

"Whose footprint? Whose footprint?"

"The footprint is.. The footprint is.. uh.."

"What's the MATTER? Sentry Diglett?"

"Would be nice if I could figure out what's goin' on and get off of Hell's real estate already," you grumbled, but Lilly gave you a fierce look to shut you up.

The voice titled Diglett began, stuttery. "Um.. uh.. um. The footprint is.. maybe Charmander's! Maybe Charmander's!"

"What? MAYBE?"

"B-but.." Diglett replied, his voice echoing from below the grate, "It's not a footprint that you normally see around here.."

"UGH!" The second voice sounded annoyed. "That's pretty crummy! Checking the footprints of visiting Pokemon, that's your job, ISN'T it, Diglett?"

Diglett sounded even more nervous, but affirming now. "Yes, but I don't know what I don't know."

Lilly looked up at you, her face torn between laughter and confusion. Mostly confusion, you duly noted. "What? Are they arguing?"

The second voice wasn't friendly, but it was somewhat polite, at least, when speaking to you. "Sorry to make you WAIT. It's TRUE that you don't see many Charmander around these parts.. But you don't SEEM to be bad.. Okay. GOOD ENOUGH. ENTER!"

Suddenly, the gate in front of the guild entrance cranked slowly open with a rusty screech, enough to make the both of you jump in shock. Lilly cried out in alarm, before settling down. "I'm s-so nervous! So jittery!"

"But.." she amended as her hackles were lowered, "I'm glad we're finally allowed in. My heart's pounding, though. But.. let's go, Ember!"

You nod, and follow after her as she enters through the front. Immediately, you notice that the inside is only slightly bigger than the tent-like outside, with large signs depicting rules and codes of conduct, and an arrow pointing to what seemed to be a ladder leading below the surface.

"Whoooah!" Lilly says, eyes wide. "There's a hatch that leads underground here!"

"When I was talking about hell's real estate," you muse, "I didn't mean literally. But this is close enough. Down the ladder to Giratina's open arms, eh?"

"Oh, shut your face!" Lilly meowed, and you both descended the ladder to the lower level. The first thing you notice is another hatch to the right of the bottom of the ladder, presumably leading even lower. The next thing you notice is the inside.

There's actual grass on the ground, flowers planted in the corners and blossoming beautifully. Lanterns hung from the ceiling, brightening the room and allowing the crowds of Pokemon below to see one another as they talked to one another in lively groups. You heard Lilly gasp beside you, at all the Pokemon. You both slowly moved forward, between the others. There were dirt squares in front of what looked like two bulletin boards on opposite walls, worn by the feet of many other Pokemon. There were even windows along the wall, you noted. The air was full of upbeat positivity, almost like that one adult who simply cannot help but cheer you on.

"So this is Wigglytuff's Guide!" Lilly's voice was full of excitement. "There sure are a lot of Pokemon here.. do

they all belong to exploration teams?"

Another unfamiliar squawk cut through her babbling, and you blink. What's up with all the unfamiliar people barging in on you and Catnip? "Excuse me?"

You both look up, and there's a colorful bird Pokemon who has ascended through the lower level hatch. He looks through the crowd, and then catches the lot of you two. His gait is upright and confident, probably in charge or some shit, you suppose. He eyes you both. "It was you two that just came in, right?"

"Y-yes!" Lilly still sounds peppy, probably because of the welcome from someone so superior. You could be impressed yourself, even if it wasn't this Wigglytuff dude or whatever.

"I'm Chatot!" He sings, in a birdlike tone. His funny, music-looking tail swung just on time with a fin on his head, almost like a beat. "I'm the Pokemon in the know around these parts! I am Guildmaster Wigglytuff's right hand Pokemon!"

So he was a higher up indeed. Color yourself silly, you totally called this fucker right off the bat. Giving a sly smile, you pushed the Scope Lens frames up your snout and began to say som-

"Now, shoo!" He barks, unfurling his wings slightly. "Leave the premises! We have no time for salespeople or silly surveys. Especially that Pikachu, I'm tired of seeing him hanging around here and asking for his friend. Away with you!"

So much for a warm welcome.

"N-no! That's not why we're here!" Lilly's voice quivers into awkwardness a little. "We want to form an exploration team.. so we came here. To receive proper training. We're not here like that.. uh.. Pikachu."

"Wh-what?" Chatot squawks, fluttering his wings a little bit. "Exploration team!" He turned, and appeared to be muttering to himself with disapproval, yet something else you couldn't place. "It's rare to see a kid like this want to apprentice at the guild. Especially given how hard our training is. Surely the steady stream of Pokemon that run away from our rigorous training proves how true that is..?"

"Uh. Excuse me. Is the exploration team training that harsh? I don't think-"

"What?!" Chatot exclaims, then turns on your dear partner. His wings flutter furiously now, keeping him hovering above the ground. By God, how is he moving that fast? "Well.. uh.. no! No, no, no! It's n-not true in the slightest! Our training program for exploration teams is as easy as can be!"

He lands, folding his wings against his sides and his tail and headfin begin to move to a steady double beat once more. Looking a bit relieved and awkwardly nice, he chitters nervously, "Well, well, well! I wish you'd told me up front that you wanted to be an exploration team! Hee-heeeeeee!"

You look at Lilly in disbelief of this.. weirdo. What the heck? She looks equally.. well. Disturbed? Hm. There isn't a word for it. "What a change in attitude." She mutters.

"Alright, then!" Chatot directs your attention back to himself. "Let's go get your team signed up then, shall we? Follow me!"

For some reason, even as he heads to the hatch, you both remain rigid. Maybe it's his unnerving shift in personality? It was off-putting, of course. He moved towards the lower ladder, and then turned to you both. "Oh, anything wrong?" He asked. "Come on! Over here! Quickly, please!"

There was not much choice but to follow, however unnerving Chatot may be. It was a strange first impression, but the nervous smile Lilly gives you as you both descend after him tells you that you could get used to it. You'd live. Chatot brings you both down, and there's grass, much like the upper floors. Strange. It was underground and in a cavern, but still grass? There were also fire lanterns hanging from the roof as with the other floor, but this one seemed to be more of a hallway-esque room than anything. To your left on the wall was a large door with a funny cloud symbol in red across the front, and to your right there was a large, shop-stand like podium in the shape of a Pokémon. Like someone may actually sell something there? Ah, no matter.

"This is the Guild's second floor. This is mainly where the apprentices work," Chatot chitters, motioning to the door. "Team registration is this way. Come along, please!"

He guides you both towards the heavy door, but Lilly breaks away to a floor to ceiling window along the wall. "Wow!" She meows, her voice edged with wonder. "We're two floors under the ground, but you can still see outside!"

Chatot jumps, flittering his wings in frustration. "Oh, please! Hush now!"

Lilly flinches, turning back to Chatot. He softens his quick tone, and you duly note that he is probably quicker to anger than you are. Very much noted. This could serve as basis for pranking later on. "The guild is built into the side of a cliff," he explains, "it's only natural that you would be able to see outside."

"Oh," Lilly mewls, still giggling enough to make you roll your eyes and snort, and Chatot looks curiously at you.

"Not the talkative type, eh?" He questions, in that teasing manner that reminded you of a teacher to a younger student, but Lilly scoffs playfully.

"Ember makes a bunch of silly jokes and whatnot," Lilly amends, "But he's a great partner. Right?"

"Yeah." You snort, puffing a little cloud of smoke. This damn kids. Chatot has a fond, faraway look on his face, but it quickly disappears as Lilly returns her interest to the tour.

"Now, here we are at the Guildmaster's Chamber." Chatot chatters, and you blink at the heavy door. "On no account.." Chatot swallows. "On no account should you be discourteous to our Guildmaster."

"Why would we be?" Lilly asks curiously. But Chatot is already pounding the door, and shouting.

"Guildmaster! It's Chatot!" He sings. "I'm coming in!"

[ - ]

Guildmaster Wigglytuff's room is a large central chamber, with torches representing the ones outside on either side of a pedestal he stood on. The round, pink Pokemon had his back turned, seemingly staring at the flags decorating the walls around him. There were two of the wall windows in here, along with a chest full of what seemed to be apples.

It was eerily quiet as you stood beside Lilly, all cut short by Chatot's song of, "Guildmaster! I present to you two Pokemon who wish to join our guild as apprentices."

Seconds pass, and all you can still see is the Play Doh blob of what appears to be Wigglytuff's back. Lilly's fear scent is strong beside you, and you bump her shoulder slightly as Chatot speaks again. "Guildmaster.. um.. Guildmaster?"

It's quiet. Nothing happens. Chatot appears to be growing nervous himself, and you are about to interject with a sarcastic quip before you hear Lilly practically bark at your side.

"Hiya!" The high-pitched, yet obviously male voice rings through the air, startling the three of you. Chatot flutters his wings once more, and you nearly chop your tongue in half. Wigglytuff's demeanor is friendly and full of excitement, enough to make you shiver slightly. He was warm-sounding.. but it was unnerving. "I'm Wigglytuff! I'm the guild's Guildmaster!"

"Duly noted." You grumble. Lilly prods you with a paw.

"You want to form an exploration team?" The Guildmaster asks cheerily, "Then, let's go for it! First, we must register your exploration team's name! So tell me your team's name?"

Chatot looks flabbergasted.

"Oh!" Lilly scrambles for thought. "Our team's name? I.. didn't think about a team name."

She turns to you. "What do you think would be a good name for us, Ember?"

"Timeflame?" You suggest. "Windfire? Heirblaze?"

"Bluh bluh, too lame," she protests. "we have to make it punny, Ember."

"Maybe we can combine our species names." You muse. "Chartitty. Skider. Chartitty, though."

"Oh, hush now!" Chatot squawks. "You cannot possibly name your team after that."

"Wildcats!" Lilly exclaims, and it takes more than half of your nerve to not say something moronic. "Get your head in the game!"

"Good Giratina, kitten," you mutter, waving your claws at her, "we are not naming our team Wildcats."

"Hurry up and pick!" Chatot chitters, but Lilly talks on as if he isn't there.

"Gay. We need to name our team Gay." She giggles, then winks at you. Good Lord have mercy. Be still, beating heart. "Gayfire, or something."

"You can't be serious." You protest, only halfheartedly. "What if we name it Ichorfire? Because you're an angel, and I'm your flame, baby." Wink. You don't mean that much, though.

Lilly snorts, and Chatot looks rather incredulous. "Icarus?" She asks, hesitantly, as if the idea had suddenly come to her. "You know, the Shaymin who flew too close to the sun and got her wings burned away."

"Icarus," you echo, and it sounds right on your tongue. You smirk. "Icarus it is, then."

"Icarus!" Lilly repeats, her smile widening. "Team Icarus! I like it. It's a wonderful name! Arcanine bless it. It's perfect, Ember."

Jirachi, please bid your beating heart still. Luckily for you, Wigglytuff speaks again, cutting through your awkward silence. You and Lilly staring at one another was starting to unnerve you.

"It's settled then!" He says with a smile. I'll register your team as Icarus! Congratulations! From now on, you're an official exploration team!"

He steps down from the pedestal for a couple moments, and hands you both a box. Placing the box in front of you, it snaps open.

"A Pokemon Exploration Team Kit," Lilly breathes, and you look at it calculatingly.

"Yup! It's what every exploration team needs!" Wigglytuff cheerily responds, and you peer inside.

There was an Explorer Badge, and it was adorable. Jesus fuck. It shone brightly with a mystical sheen to it, as if it could rear up and fucking kill someone. There was a map, a Wonder Map, to be exact. Or that's what your brain tells you, which is confusing, considering you weren't even a human before this. Either way, it was different than a usual map.

There was also a Treasure bag, much bigger than Lilly's tiny satchel. You aren't sure how much the damn thing could hold, but certainly more than the yellow, patchy bag with the Relic Fragment inside. Lilly's excited squeal snaps you back to reality, and Chatot gives an amused chuckle.

"Yes! There's all kinds of great stuff in here!" Lilly moves forward to take the badge, and Wigglytuff nods expertly.

"Yes! That's your Explorer Badge, which is your official team identification! And there's the Wonder Map.."

"Which is a wonder of convenience!" Lilly jokes, and you roll your eyes, though not unkindly. Chatot gives a low chuckle of his own, and Wigglytuff claps with glee.

"Yes, yes, good!" He continues. "And finally, there's a treasure bag. It lets you carry items you find in dungeons. Your success as an exploration team can lead to larger Treasure Bags. It's such a wonderful object! Have a peek inside."

Lilly peered into the treasure bag. "Oh, oh!" She exclaimed. "A Special Band, and a Blue Bow!"

"Those two items are rather special." Wigglytuff nodded. "I'm sure they will help you on your adventures!"

"Th-thank you!" Lilly exclaimed, jumping. "We'll do our best!"

"Yup. But you're only apprenticing right now. So do your best.. to train!"

"We will!" Lilly responds, and you toothily grin in agreement.

"Hey, wait." You interject suddenly, as Lilly juggles the Wonder Map and Treasure Bag. "What's a Special Band?"

"It raises the Special Attack of the wearer, obviously," Chatot lectured, his voice in a tone of being matter-of-factly, "there are many other scarves like it, and I'm sure you'd be curious to learn of them all. Did no one teach you these things?"

"No, Ember ca-.. oh. Nevermind, haha." Lilly begins to tell of your beach escapade, but you quiet her with a fierce glance.

"Anywho. Let me show you around, then."

Lilly grins.

[ - ]

Chatot had led you to another hallway past the second floor on the right, one that led to a room with two beds. 'Beds' was an exaggeration, as they were mostly soft grass gathered into a nest. But when you neared them to cautiously poke around, you did find that they would be rather comfortable. There was a window on the wall, and vines growing along the windowsill.

There was a little stump in one corner where items could be placed, and Lilly brightened the moment you both entered.

"This is your room!" Chatot motions to the living space. "You will live here while you work for us. Things will start getting busy for you tomorrow. So rise early, and start living up to our code! Don't stay up light. Get to bed early tonight! That is all."

He leaves, and Lilly smiles at you as she flops onto her chosen bed, the one nearest the door. "Just in case something decides to attack you in the night." She teases. "I'll be your shining Excavalier in a beautiful glowing armor. I'll protect you, Ember!"

You snort, jumping bellyfirst into your own bed, and burying your face in the soft, warm grass. "In your dreams, kiddo. Hey, what.." You gasp, sitting up and pressing your claws to your throat in feigned panic. "What if I am the monster?"

You pounce on her and glomp down on her tail, which makes her laugh. Almost effortlessly, she manages to throw you off. The two of you erupt in laughter, and you stick your tongue out before she smacks you with her tail. "Alright, Giratina, that's enough for tonight. You need to sleep, and so do I! I'm tired, Ember."

"Yeah, yeah." You mutter. But she was right. The rays of moonlight were beginning to shine through the open window, and Lilly sighed as she settled into her little nest-bed. "I'm going."

As you curl up, tail wrapped under your front paws, Lilly sighs. "Goodnight, Ember."

"Goodnight, Lilly," you say, closing your eyes. It had been a rough day. You'd quickly made a friendship with a Skitty you only met this morning, after she'd saved you from a rough spot on the beach.

You'd fought her enemies and won, getting her the precious treasure back. The same Relic Fragment that prompted you both to start this team, and it was great. Amazing, even, and maybe you would love being on an exploration team with Lilly. Maybe..

Nah.

You end up staring at nothing in the inky darkness for several minutes, unable to even consider closing your eyes. There were so many things you had questions for, and so many things you hadn't done yet. Who was the voice? What did they want with you? Why should you remember them..? It was all so confusing.

And what would even happen with Lilly? You weren't sure what your "destiny" was, at any rate, and what if it wasn't with her? Being on an exploration team? You can hear the Skitty roll around and rustle in the grass bed, and then her soft whisper cuts through your thoughts. You look up.

She's peering over the side of her bed, a soft smile on her face. You can only tell this by the gentle rays of moonlight shining through the window. "Ember? Are you still awake..?"

"My heart's been racing all day." She mews, voice soft. "But I'm glad I finally forced myself to come here. I thought Wigglytuff would be kind of scary, but he's pretty nice. We'll experience all sorts of new stuff starting tomorrow, but I'm very frightened."

The small bit of nervousness that she seems to cling to so often returns to her voice in the final sentence. But then it melts away like butter in a hot pan, quickly enough for her to begin smiling once more. "But really.. I can't wait to see what adventures lay in store for us!"

She scoots back down into her bed, and you move your snout back down to rest on your paws. "I'm getting sleepy," she mumbles, more faint. "Let's give it our all tomorrow, Ember.."

Woah. You close your own eyes, letting out a sigh. Now you're suddenly apprenticing at the guild. It's pretty exciting, you have to admit that, at least. And it's fun to be friends with Lilly.. but first things first. Who are you? You've been asking who the voice was, but who are you,really? How did you become a Pokemon? Was it the Voice? How did you end up unconscious on that beach?

But you're feeling sleepy, as well, and sleep begins to haul you down into its warm talons. Thinking about it wouldn't help. You should focus on Lilly at the moment. Promised that you'd help her, first off..

If you did that, you were sure everything would become clear eventually.

Rolling over, you close your eyes and drift off to sleep.

[ - ]

an: next update should be within a few hours or so! please leave reviews and ratings, if you'd like, and may the fire burn brightly for you no matter where you traverse on the dusty path!


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